A Gathering of Crows Book Review

Title: A Gathering of Crows

Author: Brian Keene

Publisher: Dorchester Publishing

Pages: 300

ISBN: 9780843960921

This review has been a long time coming. I've actually read the book more than once in the past several months, since it's July 27th release date, but have found it hard to come to realize that this is the final Brian Keene novel to be released through Dorchester Publishing.

It's no secret that Keene is no longer on their list of current authors writing for them. He even made the announcement on his blog a while back. But, I thought it best to wait until things had been sorted out to write this review, that way I could inform everyone who still doesn't know, about Keene's departure. And so now that you know, without any further excuses, here's my review for Brian Keene's A Gathering of Crows:

Set in a not so unusual location: Brinkley Springs, West Virginia, a podunk town hit hard by the recent economy. But unlike most towns of it's kind, the citizens of Brinkley Springs are being hunted down, gutted, getting their souls sucked out of their skulls, and all around mutilated by a shape-shifting murder of crows. Although that would be a killer plot for any novel (if executed properly), Keene ups the anti, throwing one of his most popular characters to date into the thick of things: Levi Stolzfus, an Amish powwow weilding magus, and all around badass.

When I first heard that Levi would be a major character in A Gathering of Crows, I couldn't help but get excited. Introduced in Ghost Walk, -- the sequel to Keene's Dark Hollow -- Levi quickly became one of my favorite characters to come from Keene.

The first third of the novel takes a while to get in to, but from there on out, it picks up the pace and keeps hitting harder with every turn of the page. Including in the last third of the book: a major nod and further explanations into Keene's mythos, mainly with The Thirteen, as well as The Old Ones, and a bit of a history lesson with the lost colony of Roanoke -- which Keene deftly ties into the story -- leaving just enough unanswered for the reader to want to know more. Add in killer dialogue throughout, red-shirts that are as real as you and me, and you've got one hell of a novel.

A Gathering of Crows has hands-down become one of my favorite novels to come from Keene in recent years, easily making it in the top five mass market paperback titles. There's not much more I can say without being truly biased, and splattering spoilers all over this review, so I'll just keep it short and simple: Run to your local bookstore before Leisure pulls it, and buy a copy. Hell, buy several copies and give them to your friends. And while your at it, go ahead and pick up any other Keene books you don't have, because the way it's sounding now, there's not much time left to do so.

I'm giving A Gathering of Crows 8.5 TARDIS's out of 10.

Just go pick the book up.

Seriously.

~Rodney

Crystal Rain Book Review

Title: Crystal Rain

Author: Tobias S. Buckell

Publisher: Tor

Pages: 358

ISBN: 9780765350909

Crystal Rain is the 2006 debut novel from Caribbean born author Tobias S. Buckell.

On a world not so unlike our own, strange winds begin to blow: the loathsome Azteca have stormed the Wicked High Mountains, and begun a march across Nanagada, sacrificing man, woman and child to their cruel, bloodthirsty gods as they go. Their intended target: Capitol City.

After having washed ashore 27 years earlier, John deBrun remembers nothing of his past, but as the winds of war begin to steadily blow, he's forced to remember just who he really is. deBrun -- a self made fisherman -- finds himself caught up in a fight that he doesn't really want to be a part of, until his town is invaded and sacked, and his wife and son have disappeared. Left with nothing, deBrun is forced to do the one thing he thought he'd never be forced to do again: fight. Saved by a man named Oaxyctl, the two travel as forerunners to Capitol City, where there they sound the warning against the invading Azteca.

But as the annual Carnival begins, a mystical figure arrives, questioning locals as to the where-abouts of John deBrun. The man known as Pepper has his own secret agenda, and as the story unravels, not only is the vail of Pepper's history lifted, but also deBrun's, as the two are forced to work together to save Capitol City. With only an ancient map to go by, and a name: Ma Wi Jung, deBrun leads a crew of men to the north, where they hope to find something that can save Capitol City from falling to the approaching Azteca attack.

Crystal Rain is something of a wet dream for both science fiction and fantasy lovers alike. The way Buckell deftly intertwines and blends the two genres together is breathtaking. Add in a heaping dose of the Caribbean, with a pinch of of seige warfare, and you've got the perfect main course.

Buckell does a fine job with keeping each chapter as short as possible, without sacrificing quaility. In most places it reads like a thriller should, and keeps info dumps to a minimum, instead placing small bits of information into strategic points of the story that do nothing but good for it. With well thought out characters and an ending that blew me away, I'm looking forward to spending more time in this unique universe that Buckell has done a superb job with introducing in Crystal Rain. That's why I'm giving it 8.5 out of 10 TARDIS's.

If you've got the spare pocket change and are looking for a good read that does a superb job of blending two major genres of the literature world together, then give Crystal Rain a chance. I promise you'll like it.

~Rodney

The Accidental Sorcerer Book Review

Title: The Accidental Sorcerer
Author: K.E. Mills
Publisher: Orbit
Pages: 530
ISBN: 9780316035422

The Accidental Sorcerer is the first book in the Rogue Agent Series, written by K.E. Mills and published by Orbit Publishing.
When I first picked up The Accidental Sorcerer and began to read, I quickly realized that it read much like a mature knock-off of Harry Potter. Which, the more I continued to read, the more I wanted it to be. Sadly, it only lasted for the first one hundred or so pages. It then quickly turns into something completely different than what I thought it would. To say that this book kept me surprised until the end would be an understatement.

The Accidental Sorcerer is the story of Gerald Dunwoody, and his transformation from Third Grade Wizard to King Lionel of New Ottosland's new Court Wizard. It all starts with a bang, after Gerald blows up a factory trying to save it, working as a Third Grade Wizard inspector -- a job usually held by a Second Grade Wizard at the very least -- for one of the most famous wand makers in the country.

Out of a job, and a stain on the Ministry's reputation, Third Grade Wizard Dunwoody is distraught, until his close friend Monk Markham recommends he look in the newspaper for potential employees. To his surprise, Gerald finds an add: New Ottosland is looking for a new Court Wizard. Hired on the spot, Gerald moves into his new position as Court Wizard, and struggles to keep it together as things begin to spiral out of control all around him.

Will this new position make, or break Gerald Dunwoody? With an interesting choice of characters, K.E. Mills -- a pen name for author Karen Miller -- fills the pages of The Accidental Sorcerer with some of the most memorable characters that I've read in the last several years. Between Monk Markham, one of the most brilliant minds working for the Ministry, and one of Dunwoody's best friends; Reg, a talking bird and one of Gerald's closest friends who eximplifies the Transformer's motto: "more than meets the eye," there's enough humor to make the reader smile, even in the last half of the book.

With all writers, they have their strong points, and the weak ones. As I read I couldn't help but fall in love with the characters of The Accidental Sorcerer, but as I read on, deeper and deeper into the novel, I couldn't help but ask questions concerning the government of New Ottosland and the running of it. For me, Mills fails at developing the kingdom of New Ottosland, instead sacrificing it for further development of the characters.

At 530 pages, The Accidental Sorcerer is by no means a brick of a book, but neither is it your typical 80,000 word, 320 page novel. Mills is bordering on what I consider to be the "King Syndrome": aptly named after horror author Stephen King, who takes freakin' forever to get anywhere with his books. I think a large portion of this book could have been boiled down, or all together cut out to make a more solid and well rounded novel. I'm necessarily recommending cutting it down to 320 pages, but instead bringing it down to the 450 page range, would have helped the books in some serious ways.

In the end, I throughly enjoyed reading The Accidental Sorcerer. Mills has done what many authors out there today can't necessarily do: make me invest in the characters, and want to know what happens next. Besides a weaker ending than what I would have liked, I can't wait to see where Mills takes the reader next with the second book of the Rogue Agent Trilogy, that's why I'm giving The Accidental Sorcerer 7.5 out of 10 TARDIS's.

If you enjoy character development, without the technical infodumps and overly long explanations for everything, I would highly encourage you to pick up The Accidental Sorcerer the next time you hit your local bookstore.

~Rodney

Skull Full of Kisses Book Review

Title: Skull Full of Kisses
Author: Michael West
Publisher: Graveside Tales
Pages: 212
ISBN: 8790980133882

Lately I've been finding myself reading more and more short stories, and enjoying them more than the typical novel. There's been a few collections that have stunned me in the past, but every collection pails in comparison to Michael West's Skull Full of Kisses. There's only two words that come to mind when I think about this marvelous collection, and those are: disturbingly brilliant!

Every story contained in this small, but remarkable collection not only makes a person think, but plants that thoughtful seed in the readers mind. And with each passing story that's read, that seed begins to grow, until finally you've reached the end, and left with a stunningly beautiful and haunting apparition that will follow you long after you've read the last word.

Although the collection is short, it's solid, compact, and written with a passion that's hard to find. Every story reads like polished gold. "Jiki" -- the opening story -- deals with Koji Ogawa, the newest member of the Yakuza who comes face-to-face with something more sinister than the mobster could ever dream of. Then there's "Einstein's Slingshot," which reminded me of a love child between Jurassic Park, The Mist, and The Outer Limits. There's also "To Know How to See," a sci-fi/horror hybrid that will leave you questioning the true identity of everyone around you; and then there's one of my personal favorites: "Sanctuary," which deals with travelers seeking for refuge from a Himalayan snow storm, but find something more when they hole up with a group of monks. And finally, to round out the collection, is "Goodnight," a heart-string plucking tale of a grandfather recounting a real-life bedtime story to his grandson.

I've read this collection five times in the last three months, and each time I've finished the book I've found myself stunned at what an amazing collection Skull Full of Kisses really is.West knows and loves his genre, and shows and shares it, with a remarkable ability to craft tales, and flesh out characters that feel alive. That's why I'm giving Skull Full of Kisses an 8.5 out of 10.

If you're looking for something that will seriously mess with your head long after you've put it down, I would highly suggest picking up a copy of Michael West's Skull Full of Kisses.

Monster Hunter Alpha Cover Revealed

A couple of days ago, author Larry Correia revealed the cover for the newest novel in his very popular Monster Hunter International series: Monster Hunter Alpha.

Not only is it kick-ass, but it's also sexy. Here's the synopsis for Monster Hunter Alpha:

Earl Harbinger may be the leader of Monster Hunter International, but he’s also got a secret. Nearly a century ago, Earl was cursed to be werewolf.  When Earl receives word that one of his oldest foes, a legendarily vicious werewolf that worked for the KGB, has mysteriously appeared in the remote woods of Michigan, he decides to take care of some unfinished business. But another force is working to bring about the creation of a whole new species of werewolf. When darkness falls, the final hunt begins, and the only thing standing in their way is a handful of locals, a lot of firepower, and Earl Harbinger’s stubborn refusal to roll over and play dead.


After reading that blurb I was super excited. More of Earl's backstory = awesome. But what really had me dancing up and down like a school girl is this: Monster Hunter Alpha will clock in somewhere around 832 pages... yeah, a door-stopper. Sexy! As per-usual with a Larry Correia release, I can safely say that there will be several sleepless nights for a while after procuring my copy of Monster Hunter Alpha, especially at 832 pages.


Look for it to hit shelves sometime in the beginning of August, 2011.


~Rodney

The Resurrectionist Book Review

Title: The Resurrectionist
Author: Wrath James White
Publisher: Dorchester Publishing
Pages: 324
ISBN: 8790843963120

I've known about Wrath James White's stuff for a while now, but haven't either had the time to pick any of his titles up, or had the money. Now, I'm glad to say, that I have both.

When it comes to the genre of Horror, there are only a few names that stand out when a person mentions blood and guts, and in general: sick and sometimes raunchy writers. Two come straight to mind: Edward Lee, and Wrath James White. But unlike many authors out there who go straight for the blood and guts and rely on nothing more than that to carry their stories, Wrath uses it as a tool, and writes it with an eye and an understanding. Some for the shock value, but mostly to scare the living crap out of you.

And scare the crap out of you he does!

I knew before cracking open The Resurrectionist, that it was going to be everything -- and probably more -- that I've been cautioned about. Sex and blood and violence oh my! Now, just as I was cautioned before picking up The Resurrectionist, I think it would only be right for me to caution the next batch of readers: it's bloody and graphic in some parts, so, if you have a weak stomach you'll want to make sure you're careful with this one.

Dale McCarthy is a strange man with an incredible ability, a sick addiction and a screwed up childhood. He's also Sarah's newest neighbor. On a street where half the houses have been foreclosed or are for sale, it's a surprise for Sarah and her husband when they find that there's a new addition to the neighborhood.

After their first meeting, Sarah comes to the conclusion that Dale is nothing more than a creeper. But he's more than that. Strange dreams begin to worry Sarah as she dreams of being raped and then killed by Dale. Soon, she realizes that some things are realer than what she would like them to be, and begins a quest to prove that Dale is her rapist, killer and her resurrectionist.

The idea of The Resurrectionist is an absolutely brilliant idea, and Wrath does a wonderful job with building a story around it and pulling the reader in. My biggest issue -- and only issue -- with this novel is that there are several scenes that felt slow and didn't really need to incorporated into the novel. Also, there was quite a bit of filler that wasn't necessary and didn't really carry the story.

Overall, I'd recommend The Resurrectionist to anyone who's looking for a twisted book with a good story... and a strong stomach. Although this book isn't everyone's cup of tea, I have a feeling that the readers who will find the contents agreeable and tolerable, will also immensly enjoy it. That's why I'm giving The Resurrectionist 7 out of 10 T.A.R.D.I.S.'s.

~Rodney

And The Winner Is...

Congratulations to John Cunningham, who is the new owner of a signed copy of Lucy A. Snyder's Spellbent!

Sorry for the delay in announcing the winner, or for that matter posting on here. Within the last several weeks, things have been hectic, including a new job and being sick. But, hopefully, there'll be more interviews, reviews and giveaways posted within the next coming week, so stay alert folks!

~Rodney

Podcast #10: Interview #4: Lucy A. Snyder, and Book Giveaway #1

Lucy A. Snyder

Lucy A. Snyder is the Bram Stoker Award winning author of the poetry collection, Chimeric Machines, and Sparks and Shadows, and her first novel, Spellbent. She has a B.S. in Biology and an M.A. in journalism and is a graduate of the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers' Workshop. Born in South Carolina, she grew up in the cowboys-and-cactus part of Texas and currently lives in Worthington, Ohio.

Here's the full interview with Lucy: Podcast #10: Interview #4: Lucy A. Snyder

MoCon Binge Book Giveaway #1

Hey all, here's your first chance to win a free book signed by the author. If you'd like the chance to win a free copy of Lucy A. Snyder's remarkable book Spellbent, then send an e-mail to: scifiguysbookreview@gmail.com with your name and address. You may only enter your name once for this book.

This contest will run for two weeks, starting today (May 22nd), until June 5th at midnight (EST).

Enjoy!

~Rodney

The MoCon Binge

Wow.

I've been so excited for so long now about sharing all of the goodness that is MoCon. If there was one thing that I was looking forward to the most this year, it was definitely MoCon V. It was also a big event for the site: I got the chance to interview Lucy A. Snyder, Gary A. Braunbeck, and Brian Keene (more about this later in the post), as well as prospects for even more author interviews, as well as a handful of books to give away (also explained later in this post).

My first encounter with MoCon was two years ago, when I was browsing Brian Keene's website and noticed that he'd be signing, as well as reading and participating on several of the panels being held at the convention. There I met Maurice Broaddus, Kelli Dunlap, Bob Freeman, Michael West, Alethea Kontis, D. Harlan Wilson, Geoffery Girard, Brian Keene, as well as Gary A. Braunbeck, his lovely wife Lucy A. Snyder, and Wrath James White.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to attend last year, but I did this year.

It was incredible. This years theme was the incorporation of faith in writing. They had several panels that were brilliant, funny and insightful. There was amazing food, good fellowship (including a few games of Magic), and some damn fine art, with Steven C. Gilbert as the Art Guest of Honor.

I hope you'll understand and forgive me, when I say that beyond that description there isn't much more that I can expound on. Everything went by so quickly, and sort of blurred together, but in a good way.

So, with that being said, here's how this Binge thing will break down:

Book Reviews

At my first MoCon -- strapped for cash but craving for more books --I promised Wrath James White that I'd pick up more of his books when I had more cash. Well, this year I just happened to have enough to pick up some of his other titles, that I've been really looking forward to reading.Therefore about half of the forthcoming reviews will include some of Wrath's novels, but they will be interspersed evenly throughout.

Interview Podcasts

While at MoCon I was lucky enough to interview and record, Lucy A. Snyder, Gary A. Bruanbeck and Brian Keene, as stated before. I'll be post each author's interview seperately, probably in three or four day intervals.

Book Giveaways

I've procured several different titles while at MoCon, all signed by the authors, that I'll be giving away within the next several days. I'll be posting more information when I make the official post.

For now, hang tight, and enjoy the binge!

~Rodney

Vanilla Ride Book Review

Title: Vanilla Ride
Author: Joe R. Lansdale
Publisher: Doubleday
Pages: 256
ISBN: 9780307270979

Vanilla Ride is the eighth book in author Joe R. Lansdale's fantastically popular Hap and Leonard Series.

I've only recently discovered Lansdale, and within the short period of time since my finding, I've quickly devoured all of the Hap and Leonard novels, and am now well on my to finishing the rest of his surprisingly long bibliography. When I got to the end of Captians Outrageous, I started jonesing for more, and to my surprise found that there was still one more book in the series to go before I had to officially begin the agonizing wait for another adventure with Hap and Leonard.

Hap Collins, -- a smart ass who has an affinity for southern women (also his one true weakness) -- and Leonard Pine -- a gay, black Vietnam Veteran whose still looking for the right man -- aren't your typical duo. And although they might not see eye-to-eye on everything, they both share the same passion for causing trouble and making things right, even if it might be wrong.


When an old buddy asks Leonard to rescue his daughter from an abusive, low-life drug dealer, he agrees. Inviting Hap along for the ride, the duo heads out on a wild quest. One that will pit the two men against the Dixie Mafia, which elusive, sexy and dangerous Vanilla Ride.

Although this wasn't my favorite Hap and Leonard novel, it was one hell of a ride! The storyline was slightly recycled from some of the duo's past experiences, but Lansdale makes up for this by mixing it up just enough to keep me hooked. I was really excited to learn just what exactly Vanilla Ride was, and after learning what it was, I'm looking forward to seeing what Lansdale does with it.

However, naturally, I have a few issues with Vanilla Ride. Firstly, it seemed as though it took forever for anything major to take place. Lansdale does a marvelous job with building the story, but nothing really happens until you've read a third of the book. However, from there things do pick up and it's a typical Hap and Leonard adventure: edge of your seat, no holds-bar, nonstop ass kicking, wisecracking romp that doesn't let up until the final page.

The second issue that I have with Vanilla Ride is probably the reason for my first problem with it, which is that there seemed to be large amounts of talking between the infamous duo. Maybe it's Lansdale's way of showing the reader that no matter how much the reader doesn't want Hap and Leonard to be getting older, -- a feeling I'm sure the duo shares with the reader -- they really are.

And the most ridiculous of my issues with Vanilla Ride -- even though it minute -- is that Leonard, whose known to have an affection for sawed-off shotguns, doesn't obtain said firearm until well near the end of the book.

In reality, all of these issues are probably ridiculous and minuscule, but they're things that I've come to expect from these characters, and from the author, therefore I'm giving Vanilla Ride 8.0 TARDIS's out of 10.

If anyone is interested in starting from the beginning of the series, you can pick up a copy of Savage Season here, and here.

Enjoy!

~Rodney

Brine Book Review

Title: Brine

Author: Adrienne Jones

Publisher: Creative Guy Publishing

Pages: 204

ISBN: 9781894953511

Brine is one of the most inventive, luring, brilliant and thought-provoking books I've read this year.

I have to admit that the first thing that caught my attention when I was browsing through Creative Guy Publishing's book catalog (whose site I would highly recommend visiting), was the beautiful and bizarre cover of Brine. I know that you're not supposed to judge a book by it's cover, but after seeing the cover for this one, I couldn't help myself: I had to make sure it was as kick ass as the cover led me to believe.

Good thing I was quick to judge this book by it's cover!

Not only is the cover bizarre, but so is the story: it follows a year in the life of Elliot Newton, an up and coming painter, whose life is changed forever after waking up one morning from a drunken painting streak the night before. Nursing a hangover Elliot quickly realizes that he's not alone. In fact, he finds that over night his Cape Cod property has become occupied with several creatures not of the human world, but rather of the human mind. With the help of his friend Bobby, the two slowly begin to unravel the truth behind the painted inhabitants. From there the story goes from weird to weider, and ends at extremely weird.

Jones does a marvelous job with keeping the pace smooth, and quick, filling it full of memorable characters, and a kick ass plot that keeps you guessing with each page. I really loved the concept of the first third of the novel, and although it at first reminded me of Stephen King's Duma Key, I was happy to find that it far surpassed anything that King could ever write. And that goes for the remaining two-thirds of the book as well.

Have you ever cracked a book open, begun to read, and hours later realized that you've spent all your time absorbed by the pages in front of you? Well, that's exactly what happened to me with this book. At 204 pages, it's a quick read -- which was a good thing, considering I read it in one sitting -- but the story is so well written that after reading it, it feels like you've just finished reading a 350 page novel. There's so much going for it at once, that even if the characters ridiculous and shoddily written, it would still be one hell of a novel.

Brine was absolutely amazing, and surpassed my expectations by many miles, and then some! That's why I'm giving it 9.5 TARDIS's out of 10.

I absolutely loved Brine, and I can't wait to see and read what kind of other weirdness Jones stirs up and commits to the page in the future. With a few more re-reads, I have a feeling that Brine will quickly become one of my favorite all-time novels.

So, if you're into reading weirdness, I would highly suggest picking up a copy of Brine as soon as possible. You can buy a copy over at Barnes&Noble.com, and at Amazon.com, and while your at it, pick one up for a friend. They'll thank you for it later!

~Rodney

And Now, Back to Your Regularly Scheduled Programming...

This last week has been a killer, with school and life in general getting in the way, there hasn't been much time for reading, which means no time for writing reviews. I haven't even been able to give updates of all the neat things that are going on right now, which disappoints me. But don't be discouraged! Starting today and continuing all through this summer, (until sometime in mid-August) expect regular posts, including book reviews, author interviews, book and publishing news, as well as some special book giveaways and "Book Binges."

The first Book Binge will be announced next Monday, and will run until the specified set of books are finished. Until then, keep checking for more reviews, the first of which will be Adrienne Jones's Brine. Look for it sometime tomorrow, or the next day.

Also, for those both new and old to the site, check out the poll that's currently up on the right hand of the screen. The poll consists of 12 different series varying in genres. My goal with this poll is to get feedback from you -- the reader -- as to what series I should crack open. Right now, Dan Abnett's Gaunt's Ghosts Series is in the lead with 1 vote.

For those who are interested, here's how the poll works: visitors to the site are aloud to vote once a day for a series. I'll leave the poll up until the end of June. July 1st, I'll announce the winning series, and will have a review for the first book in the winning series posted by the end of the month, and will continue to post reviews, once a month until I've finished reading the series.

After that, I'll post the poll back up, with the finished series replaced with a new one.

So keep tuning in to the site, and don't forget to vote!

~Rodney

The Empire In Black and Gold Book Review

Title: Empire in Black and Gold
Author: Adrian Tchaikovsky
Publisher: Pyr
Pages: 414
ISBN: 9781616141929

Empire in Black and Gold is the first novel in the "Shadows of the Apt" series by Adrian Tchaikovsky;a new and ambitious fantasy series published by Pyr.

The city-states of the Lowlands have only known peace for the past several decades. These great city-states are bastions of civilization protected by treaties, they share trade with their fellow neighbors.

But while the people of the Lowlands go about their comfortable lives, a tide of black and gold soldiers are consuming, demolishing and enslaving countries from afar, quickly making their way towards the smug and comfortable inhabitants of the Lowlands. Highly trained and born with the killing Art, these are the soldiers of the Wasp Empire.

As the tide spreads, and more countries are consumed, the leader of a once small band of truth speakers emerges once again to raise the warnings. He is Stenwold Maker: Beetle-Kinden, statesmen, artificer, spymaster and teacher. With a cadre of his best students, and a few friends from years past, he and his small band of rag-tag heroes are the only thing standing in the way of the Wasp Empire and the remaining countries that have not fallen under black and gold shadows.

Empire in Black and Gold is a brilliant read. For those looking for a different take on fantasy, this is what you've been looking for. And if you don't believe me, then you only have to look at the marvelous and beautiful cover that Pyr has given to this tome of a book. They seem to always be on the mark when it comes to their covers, and this one doesn't disappoint.

Tchaikovsky does a marvelous job with world building, and drawing the readers attention in from page one. From the various races, to their different cultures and beliefs, this world reads like an already established shared universe in that there's so much going on. But unlike some of the shared universes, there's only one mind behind Empire in Black and Gold: Tchaikovsky. His characters are real; hero and villain begin to blur the more the book progresses.

What I find truly remarkable about this series is the fact that Tchaikovsky has added elements of Steampunk into such a marvelous world. Doing so, hasn't taken anything away from the world that he's created, but in fact, I think it's only made it stronger and more unique.

Fight scenes are abound in this novel as well. Brilliantly described and easy to imagine, Tchaikovsky has a remarkable mind when it comes to writing such scenes. He has kick-ass characters that help to elevate the fight scenes, promising the reader more in the following books as tensions between characters build, and the Wasp Army continues to demolition all that stands in their way.

Although it felt slow in several parts, for the most part the story flowed smoothly, and kept me wanting to read more. And since it's his first novel, I'd have to say that overall this is a damn fine debut. That's why I'm giving Empire in Black and Gold 9.0 out of 10 TARDIS's.

~Rodney

Author Interview: Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Several days ago I posted a review for Kristine Kathryn Rusch's incredible sci-fi novel Diving Into the Wreck. Not longer after that, I contacted Kristine to see if she would be willing to do an interview for the site. Luckily enough she has, so with that said...

What made you want to become an author?

I always wanted to be a writer, from my earliest memories. The amateur psychologist in me thinks that’s because I was raised by 5 adults who were always reading. One of my earliest memories is asking reading adults to play with me (I couldn’t read then) and they told me to go away because they were busy. But who knows, really? I’ve always loved stories, and I just learned that my mother’s side of the family was filled with writers, newspaper editors, and book publishers. So maybe it was Destiny.

How did you get your start in writing?

I always wrote. I started publishing in high school when I got to write the high school column for the local paper (and got paid!). I wasn’t an English major in college, but I took writing classes so that I would have an excuse to write. I mailed things out from an early age, and got fiction published when I was 21.

What appeals to you the most about writing; what makes it special?

I can sit in a room by myself, make things up, and then later, people I’ve never met talk to me about that story. I think that’s just nifty snifty. (Seriously.)

Who are some authors who have had the most influence on you?

I’m sure there are many I’m not even aware of, but I always cite F. Scott Fitzgerald and Daphne Du Maurier, mostly because I reread The Great Gatsby every year, whether I need to or not, and Rebecca every year as well. In sf, I think my biggest influences were Andre Norton and Ursula K. Le Guin.

You've written in several different genres. Do you have a particular favorite?

Honestly, no. I didn’t even know genres existed until college when my buddy Kevin J. Anderson told me what genres were. I just like books.

Diving Into the Wreck was originally written as a novella. How did you go about expanding it into the full length novel that it is now?

I write almost completely out of my subconscious. I don’t plan things, I don’t outline, I don’t really know what’s happening until it gets revealed on the page. So I started a second novella, called “The Room of Lost Souls,” and suddenly Boss appeared. I realized then that “Diving” and “Room” were parts of a novel, and so I wrote the rest of it. Then I started another story, and Boss showed up again (she won’t leave me alone!), so I realized that there was a lot more than one novel here. The “Spires of Denon” happened without Boss, but in the same universe, so now I have an even bigger group of stories to tell.

Undoubtedly you’ve created an amazing universe within the pages of Diving Into the Wreck, and some amazing characters, particularly Boss. Is there any chance that we might be seeing more of her in the future?

Oh, yes. The next book is called City of Ruins and it will come out in Spring 2011. There may or may not be a novella in Asimov’s before that, called “Becoming One With the Ghosts.” I’m not sure when Sheila has it planned. And of course, there are all the stories I mentioned above, and more that will happen as I finish up City. Readers can find out what all the related stories are either on my website, www.kristinekathrynrusch.com, or on a Diving-dedicated static website called divingintothewreck.com.

What kind of projects are you currently working on?

Right now, I’m finishing up my next Kristine Grayson paranormal called Wickedly Charming. These books are about as far from Diving as you can get. In this novel, Prince Charming falls for the Evil Stepmother—at a book fair.

You’ve written several media tie-in novels in the past, for such series as Star Trek, X-Men, Aliens, and Predator. What are some of the challenges to writing in already established universes?

You have to be true to the characters and the world. You also have to love those worlds, or it’s just not worth anyone’s time. Never do the work cynically. I’m just a big fangirl, so I have a lot of fun when I write tie-ins.

Technology is quickly catching up to the standards of science fiction. Do you think this is a good thing? What kind of an impact do you think new inventions like the iPad will have on the genre?

SF has never really been about tech. It’s about Now disguised as the future. So I don’t think tech changing is a problem.

I think the iPad and other inventions will only improve the genre, and help us find new ways to tell stories. (And new ways to deliver them.)

What’s your take on electronic books? Do you think that they have/will
hurt the publishing business?

Help. They’ll bring in new readers, new ways of writing, new ways of consuming stories. Already, I’m seeing a lot more folks reading—on their phones, listening to podcasts, talking about books. That’s a good thing.

As for the big publishers, New York publishers, they’re in the same position that the TV networks were in during the late 1980s, early 1990s, as everyone started to get cable. The overall numbers of viewers went up, but the numbers per program went down. I think some of the big bestsellers will see numbers go down, but the midlist writers will see their sales go up as the books become available through a wide variety of non-traditional and smaller markets.

When not writing, what are some of your hobbies?

I run. I go to movies, watch too much TV, and read of course. And travel when I get the chance.

What are some books that you’ve recently enjoyed reading?

I do a recommended reading list on my blog every month because I love sharing what I’ve read. It’s here: http://kriswrites.com/category/reading/

Recently, I recommended Connie Willis’s Blackout, Deborah Blum’s The Poisoner’s Handbook, and Robert Crais’s The First Rule. There’s tons more on the lists, but those are memorable highlights.

Do you have a favorite quote?

I don’t have it in front of me, so this probably isn’t exact, but I heard it from Senator Edward Kennedy: “Never let the perfect get in the way of the good.” I tend toward perfectionism, so that really helps.

What’s one important thing that readers should know about you?

I write a lot, so if you like one kind of fiction, I’ve probably written it (under one name or another).

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

I have a new book out from Golden Gryphon. It’s called Recovering Apollo 8 and Other Stories. It’s my latest collection of award-winning, award-nominated, and best-of short stories. The book has a lovely Bob Eggleton cover. I’m really pleased with it. It’s a lovely package.

Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule and stopping by. Hopefully we’ll see you again!

Thanks for asking!

Official Release Date Set for Patrick Rothfuss's The Wise Man's Fear.

Well folks, for those of you have been waiting patiently like me for news regarding the release date of The Wise Man's Fear, the second book in Patrick Rothfuss's King Killer's Chronicle, then this is the time to rejoice! Pat's just released the publication date for his second tome: March 1, 2011 (click on his name to go straight to his blog to read the full entry he's posted there). In just under a year we can all do a little happy dance before devouring what Pat's already said is going to be a monster of a book.

And for those of you who haven't been exposed to any of Pat's stuff, might I recommend picking up a copy of the first book in the series, The Name of the Wind.

Here's the synopsis for The Wise Man's Fear:

"There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man." An escalating rivalry with a powerful member of the nobility forces Kvothe to leave the University and seek his fortune abroad. Adrift, penniless, and alone, he travels to Vintas, where he quickly becomes entangled in the politics of courtly society. While attempting to curry favor with a powerful noble, Kvothe discovers an assassination attempt, comes into conflict with a rival arcanist, and leads a group of mercenaries into the wild, in an attempt to solve the mystery of who (or what) is waylaying travelers on the King's road. All the while, Kvothe searches for answers, attempting to uncover the truth about the mysterious Amyr, the Chandrian, and the death of his parents. Along the way, Kvothe is put on trial by the legendary Adem mercenaries, forced to reclaim the honor of the Edema Ruh, and travels into the Fae realm. There he meets Felurian, the faerie woman no man can resist, and who no man has ever survived. Under her tutelage, Kvothe learns much about true magic and the ways of women. In The Wise Man's Fear Kvothe takes his first steps on the path of the hero and learns how difficult life can be when a man becomes a legend in his own time.

~Rodney

Doctor Who Experience #2: Ryk E. Spoor

In correspondence with the newest episode of the new season of Doctor Who, and the weekly author experience, I give you author Ryk E. Spoor. His newest book, Grand Central Arena hits shelves on Tuesday, and is published by Baen. If you get the chance, pick up a copy!

With that, here's Ryk's experience:

I first encountered Doctor Who not on television, but as a book intro -- with, if I recall correctly, Harlan Ellison talking about how he taunted a crowd at an SF convention with the greatest filmed SF being Doctor Who! ("Who?" they said, and I said "Who!" and we went back and forth ...).

I don't recall which of the Doctor's adventures that particular book was, but the words stuck in my head until I heard that this show was going to be shown on WHMT, our local public television station, and I tuned in.

My first reaction, rather predictably, was "What the HELL is this thing? It looks like it was filmed by two college students with a budget of $2.50! Why is ANYONE watching it?"

And yet...

And yet...

I did watch it. There was something about this tall, curly-haired man with the ludicrously long scarf that held your attention. And as I came to understand the mythology, the history behind this peculiar figure and his blue box with "POLICE" at the top and the shaky cardboard sets, the more I was able to see past the cheap sets and the rockets with smoke that mysteriously rose "up" in space where there was, or should be, no "up", the aliens who were barely more convincing costumes than the Mickey Mouse bobbleheaded costumes you saw at supermarket openings. I started to see SPACE OPERA. Grand scale, requiring your imagination to work with it, yes, requiring you to suspend your disbelief from a cable composed of Dalekenium, yes, but a great sprawling exciting universe that was building itself up from some of the most bizarre concepts ever.

A time-spaceship that looked like a police call box on the outside, but was the size of a skyscraper inside. A main character who was always the same, yet drastically different, when he changed his face (one of the most brilliant ideas in television history). Crazy like a fox, noble, quixotic, grim, childlike, lonely, impulsive -- there were a thousand ways to describe the Doctor, and all of them fit, somehow.

Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker defined the Doctor for me in the early years -- and in many ways it was Pertwee, rather than Baker, that was the essence of a Timelord: wise and old, human yet... not at all, with a nobility -- and a presence -- that set him apart from all others.

Then came the New Doctor Who. With real effects. And I was afraid that they would completely mess it up. For a while it seemed they had; Eccleston's Doctor was dark, gritty, abrupt in a way the others had not been. But then came _Dalek_ and suddenly it was clear what had caused him to be that way -- and after the climactic event of that episode, he began to come back to himself in a brilliant rebirth, exemplified by the line that still, to this day, brings tears of joy to my eyes even by typing it: "Just this once -- EVERYBODY LIVES!"

And Tennant took that and RAN with it, building the legend anew for a reborn audience and old fans alike, the craziness, the majesty, the *humanity* of the immortal alien Timelord -- a humanity allowed to show more clearly than before, and the scale of his adventures far more sharply delineated, culminating in a threat to destroy the entirety of creation: "This, Doctor, is my ultimate triumph! The destruction of Reality itself!"

As a writer and a fan, the Doctor is one of the great figures of science fiction. He is the defender of the universe in a rumpled suit, a warrior who needs no weapons, the lone hero between the universe and destruction. He seems harmless sometimes, eccentric, a clown, a nosy meddling busybody with no idea of what he's doing, or how... until he gives you *that* look, and you realize he's known all along what he was doing, and what you were doing... and if you're a villain, you feel that terrible sinking certainty that he has already precalculated your doom, had already done so before first you met. Matt Smith has already had one such moment, in his first episode, calling back the aliens who had threatened earth: "Is this world protected? Has it been invaded? What happened to THEM?" A cold look as the aliens search the data and keep finding one being, wearing different faces but always the same, coming to the realization of what they face. "So, basically... RUN."

The Doctor inspires me to create heroes that think outside the box, that manipulate events to allow the bad guys to set themselves up, as well as heroes willing to take on things of cosmic significance. In _Boundary_ and its sequel _Threshold_, I have the character A.J. Baker, whose full name is Adric Jamie Baker -- named by his parents after two of the Doctor's companions, and getting in Threshold one very Doctor-like Crowning Moment of Awesome.

The Doctor's companions are also vastly important -- some of them iconic in and of themselves. The savage companion Leela who became one of the residents of Gallifrey, the Timelords' homeworld; Rose Tyler, ordinary shopgirl who became a cross-dimensional heroine; Sarah Jane Smith, reporter that aliens visit and invaders fear; Captain Jack Harkness, con man turned hero; Donna Noble, once a self-centered, completely oblivious woman without a thought outside of the moment, transformed in moments of shock and terror into a woman willing to cross the galaxies for the sake of adventure -- and to keep this "Doctor" from losing himself; Jamie McCrimmon, Highlander warrior whose innocence was a weapon greater than his considerable skill in combat; and many more. How many heroes has he made? The list is long and filled with honor.

And he has enemies of heroic and terrifying scale; The Master, his dark twin, another Timelord with an appetite for conquest and destruction that, eventually, consumed him; the Sontarans, super-warrior clone race, nearly indestructible; the Cybermen, assimilating humans into their cybernetic ranks with "Resistance is Futile" long, long before the Borg ever stole the line; and ever and always the Daleks and their grandly insane creator, Davros. Few creations of science fiction can match these -- and I salute them in my own way in Grand Central Arena, not the least of these nods being that the vessel used by Sethrik in his race against Ariane Austin is named "Dellak" -- a transposition of "Dalek, and a name which is supposed to be one of the six original Minds, AIs which have conquered their own creators and seek to do so to the rest of the universe.

I'm not even sure I COULD figure out all the influence the Doctor has had on me; all I know is, it's immense, and I am grateful to all of those who created, and continue to create, the ongoing story of the Last of the Timelords.

Diving Into the Wreck Book Review

Title: Diving Into The Wreck
Author: Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Publisher: Pyr Publishing
Pages: 375
ISBN: 9781591027867

Boss is a diver, active historian and loner, who only works with others when the situation calls for it. Drifting through space on her own aboard Nobody's Business, she looks for rare, unmarked and unclaimed vessels that have been wrecked, to make a living on by searching for treasure, selling what's salvageable, and claiming what would make for a good dive with inexperienced tourist-divers who are willing to pay good money for such a rich experience.

Diving Into The Wreck is an intensely written story that was way more than what I thought it would be. In places its as dark as the space that surrounds Nobody's Business, but the darkness is gritty, familiar and all too realistic, while carrying surrealism through scenes that seem almost too fantastical.

The story itself is split into three conjoining stories, which act as individual parts, with the first two building up to the final part. Although it's a typical format for many stories, it works remarkably well for this story; their each easy to follow, and all three would would rather well as stand alone novellas if a person wanted to read just one.

Rusch has a knack for introducing characters. Whether you grow to love them or hate them while reading this book, it's guaranteed that they'll stay drifting through your brain for many, many days after putting the book down.

I really enjoyed reading Diving Into the Wreck. Okay, that's an understatement; I overly enjoyed reading it. The voice that it's written in is refreshing, and Boss is a character that I found myself instantly becoming attached too. She's more human than many characters that I've read in the past, and her story instantly sucked me in. And out of the many science fiction novels I've read in my lifetime, I think this is one of the only ones that actually had an authentic sci-fi feel to it, -- almost classical in many regards -- unlike many titles that seem to be churned out at breakneck speeds, the science within the pages of Diving Into The Wreck is simple to follow and feels anything but forced into the story; Rush pulls this classical feel off extremely well.

With all the trademarks of an all-around amazing storyteller, I'm going to keep an eager eye out for more of Kristine Kathryn Rusch's stuff. I'm hoping that there will be a sequel to this book, heck, an entire series revolving around Boss and her diving adventures would be alright with me.

With an original story line, interesting characters, simple science and a knack for story telling, Rusch's understanding for the science fiction genre shines throughout Diving Into the Wreck. That's why I'm giving it 8.5 Tardis's out of 10. To anyone who's looking for a remarkable sci-fi novel that's easy on the science, I'd highly recommend stopping by your nearest bookstore and picking up a copy of this book, or ordering a copy online from these fine booksellers: Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

~ Rodney

Doctor Who Experience #1: Chris Roberson

For those of you out there that are fans of Doctor Who, you probably (more like better!!!!) know about the new series, with Matt Smith as the new Doctor, and Steve Moffat taking Russell T Davies spot as executive producer. Since the first episode of this season just aired here in America, I've asked several authors to share their Doctor Who experience(s) with us, including the influence that the show has had on their writing.

And the first author to share with us is Chris Roberson, who has written several novels, including his newest novel Sons of Dorn, which hit shelves back in January, and is published by Black Library.

Here's Chris's experience:

Growing up in a suburb of Dallas in the 70s and early 80s, I had a vague awareness that something called Doctor Who existed, but didn't really have a handle on it. A local station would air the half-hour segments one a day, late at night, and the one time I tried to tune in I came in at the middle of a long-running serial and was completely lost. Then, when I was around 13 or 14, I was lucky enough to tune in to the local PBS affiliate one Saturday afternoon when they started airing entire serials back to back. Plop down for an hour or two and you could see an entire Doctor Who story, beginning to end. They started with "Robot," the first of the Tom Baker episodes, and suffice it to say I was *hooked*. I stuck with them all the way through the rebroadcasts, all of the 4th and 5th Doctors, until finally a couple of years later they caught up with the then-current BBC airings and the rebroadcasts got a bit sporadic.

Doctor Who was an ENORMOUS influence on me as a writer. My favorite episodes are those written by Douglas Adams and Robert Holmes, which took completely disparate elements (immortal alien + counterfeit art + cat burglar caper + the elimination of all life on Earth = "City of Death") and yet made them work splendidly as a harmonious whole. Doctor Who taught me that there was NOTHING that couldn't be made to work in a story, if you could find the right angle to approach it.

I've gone back and watched a great deal of the first three Doctors' serials, and sampled bits of five and six (and even suffered through the Fox movie on the night of broadcast, I'm sorry to say). In the years before RTD relaunched the franchise I discovered the various novels published in Britain over the last twenty or so years, many of which are FANTASTIC. And then I was glued to my TV when I first laid hands on a pirated copy of the RTD relaunch. I never thought another actor could replace Tom Baker as my favorite Doctor, but when David Tennant took over for Eccelston, I was happy to be proven wrong.

My favorite episodes of the RTD series were those written by Steven Moffat (though I have a special affection for Paul Cornell's episodes, as well), so I had absolute confidence that he'd do a stellar job when he took over as showrunner, but nothing could have prepared me for how tremendous "The Eleventh Hour" and "The Beast Below" have been. This is the best that Doctor Who has ever been, and I cannot WAIT to see what they do next.

Call to Arms Book Review

Title: Call to Arms
Author: Mitchel Scanlon
Publisher: Black Library
Pages: 320
ISBN: 9781844168132

Deiter Lanz has always wanted to be a member of "The Scarlets;" a soldier in the 3rd Hochland Swordsmen. Raised by an almost heroic figure, starting at a young age Deiter has been trained to be a soldier.The novel starts off with Deiter having his dream come true: he's the newest recruit to "The Scarlets."

Just as he gets omitted to the ranks of the 3rd Hochland Swordsmen, a horde of greenskins headed by Morgoth Ironfang attack and force The Scarlets to act. From there, everything goes down hill, as Count Aldebrand of Hochland comes to the realization that no other country would be willing to come to the countries aid. In his realization, Count Aldebrand promotes legendary General Ludwig von Grahl as leader of his armies, to fight back against Ironfang and his hordes.

There were many parts of this where I would get to a scene and be like, "Oh! This is where it's going to pick up... it's got to!" And then, I was let down; hopeful, I kept reading on, but was let down more than I'm willing to admit. There were several parts of Call to Arms, where I felt it had potential to expand and spin into something better, but unfortunately it didn't, In the end culminating with an anti-climactic battle that seemed to have been rushed and generically ended.

Call to Arms is riddled with cliches, with the typical characters that can be found in just about any generic fantasy novel, or B rated/Sci-Fi Channel Original Movie, including rather lackluster fight scenes. Especially the premise of the novel: a horde of goblins/trolls/orcs, led by a badass commander decide to invade a country, or area with no real reason other than to start a fight, and see things die. (I know, I just defined the definition of an orc.) I was hoping that Call to Arms would stay away from this. I don't want to have to compare the world of Warhammer Fantasy with that of the newly visioned Dragonlance, that's why I'm hoping this doesn't become a trend.

In parts, it felt as though Scanlon hadn't been made aware of one of the golden rules of writing, and that is to 'show, don't tell.' There were many parts of Call to Arms where, instead of having the character experience something, Scanlon has another character explain it instead. His narrative also suffers from this. There were several scenes where he switched narratives so quickly, that I kept getting lost. One moment he was writing from Character C's point of view, then the next it was back to Character A's.

I personally would have loved to have seen a few little info-dumps throughout, but sadly there were none. Maybe it's a good thing, considering I'm a new reader and all, but I was expecting just the slightest bit of exposure to any reader, whether they be new to the world, or old.

Although it would seem that I've done nothing but bashed this novel, there's plenty of good things to speak of about it. As much as it would seem when Call to Arms begins, it is not a coming of age story, which I thank Scanlon for. Too many fantasy titles these days use the typical view point of a young person in order to narrate their stories from a pair of fresh, unexpereinced eyes.

Call to Arms is my first official Warhammer Fantasy novel experience, and all-in-all, it wasn't bad. I've read worse. Therefore, I'm giving it an even 5.0 Tardis's out of 10. If you want to take a chance on it yourself, you can procure your very own copy from both: Barnes and Noble and Amazon.

~Rodney

Of Apologies, Snippets, Updates, Reminders and a Mini-Review.

Hey all, before I return to posting reviews, I thought I would take a minute and update everyone on some really awesome stuff that's going on right now, and to apologize for the lack of reviews, both to my readers and the publishers who have been amazing enough to give me free books to read. Schools been rough, with many papers to write, and many books to read. Reviews will start back up here this weekend, so keep your eyes peeled.

And with that said...

Larry Correia, author of Monster Hunter International has a new book coming out sometime next year called The Grimnoir Chronicles, the first book in this series called Hard Magic. Because Larry is such an awesome person, he's giving the first 7 chapters away for FREE, over at his site. These snippets started three days ago, and will continue for another four, until all 7 chapters have been posted. Then, like the rest of us, you'll have to wait it out, until Baen publishes it next year. Here's Larry's site (which you can also find on the right hand of this screen, along with many other author sites). Some amazing stuff.

Here's something that I was pleasantly surprised to learn about: author John Scalzi, probably most famous for his books Old Man's War, The Ghost Brigades and Zoe's Tale, has just dropped a pleasant surprise for all of his readers, especially if their fans of H. Beim Piper. Here's John's site.

And just a reminder, Lucy A. Snyder's Chimeric Machines is being offered for free, thanks to the books publisher, Creative Guy Publishing until tomorrow, so grab a copy while you can! You can download your very own copy of Chimeric Machines from Smashwords with the promotion code: LN79D. And while your at it, why not pick up a dead-tree copy to support not only Lucy, but the amazing people at Creative Guy Publishing (who's site I recommend you check out if you get the chance. They have some pretty wicked books.).

Which, brings me to the very first Mini-Review for this site:

Title: Chimeric Machines
Author: Lucy A. Snyder
Publisher: Creative Guy Publishing
Pages: 92
ISBN: 9781894953559

Last month, Chimeric Machines won a Bram Stoker Award, and now, after having read it, I know why.

Snyder has a way of painting beautiful scenes, weaving in just enough macabre to make any horror fan happy. With an introduction by author Tom Piccirilli, this collection was headed for great things right off the printers!

Snyder does a wonderful job with explaining the definition of a chimera, straight from a dictionary, circa 1913. From there, she breaks her poems up into different parts, allowing each individual part to stand by themselves, while they still manage to work together, as a whole, on an entirely different level than what I would have ever thought. And for those of you who aren't exactly fans of poetry, there's a few pieces of prose scattered throughout that I garuntee will make you just as happy.

There's something for everyone within the pages of this fine collection of poetry and prose. That's why I'm giving Chimeric Machines 9.5 TARDIS's out of 10.

So live a little and download it while you still can! Go on, I dare ya!

~Rodney